Footnotes are used for four primary purposes: 1) to identify the source of direct material used in the text; 2) to acknowledge the source of similar or related information; 3) to make a cross-reference; and 4) to make a comment.
The footnote number should be placed in the text immediately after the material to which it refers. In cases of direct quotations, place the number immediately after the quote, even if this is not the end of the sentence.
The first time that the reference is cited, the footnote should be made in complete form, listing the author, source, year, publisher, etc. Subsequent references can then be made in abbreviated form using either:
- Ibid, followed by the page number: when references from the same exact work follow each other without interruption (such as "Ibid, p. 44".);
- Author's name, followed by page number: when references from the same work are interspersed with citations from other sources. (Add the title, if necessary, to distinguish between multiple works by the same author, such as "John F. Smith, A Soldier's View of War, p. 399".)
Unlike bibliographies, footnotes don't require that you list authors' names in last-name-first order. If the work has multiple authors, list them in the order that they appear on the title page, and in normal name order. (such as "John R. Smith, Sheryll A. Weber and Michael F. Thomas".)
For books, provide the following information in this order and with the indicated punctuation: Author(s), Title, Editor or Translator, Series (Place: Publisher, Year), Page. If any of the information (such as editor or series) does not apply to this publication, simply leave it out.
For articles from periodicals, provide the following information in this order: Author(s), "Title", Publication, Volume (Date), Page.
For a detailed description of virtually every conceivable footnote variation, consult Kate L. Turabian's "A Manual for Writers" or "The Chicago Manual of Style".
